Sunday 2 February 2014

STAR BLUES on 2nd February 2014 at 22:00 including the 400-CBA roster

In June 1968 at the Avant-Garde Club in Milwaukee, Magic Sam cut the most complete live blues album of all time. The tapes lay dormant for 45 years and the album is now out on Delmark - our playlist proves the gifts Magic Sam showed that Saturday night at the club upstairs at 2111 Mt Pleasant. It was hot, smoky, cramped and loud. There was just enough room to place the reel-to-reel recorder by the front of the stage, ruggedised mics placed round the room, no chance to mix the inputs: it was a case of pressing record and capturing everything Sam and his band played. We're not told how many folks were there but we can see from the pictures the table layout was cafe style with barest comfort in the chairs. Magic Sam's guitar rang true, loud and clear, Mojo Elem's pulsing bass lines never faltered and Richey's drums fell in line. Most other gigs such as this suffer from over busy rhythm section with metalwork dominating voice and guitar. Not that night. We chose two pieces from this remarkable album. Within a few weeks the club closed and Sam died the next year aged just 32.

Delmark has just celebrated 60 years and deftly retains a healthy roster of current and upcoming players as well as an enviable back catalogue. Their celebratory disc gave us a Tail Dragger track as an entry onto our list of 400-CBA (Current Blues Artists) - his given name is James Yancey Jones, the "Tail Dragger" replacement came courtesy of the mighty Howlin' Wolf. Just about everyone in that first hour of the show is eligible for  the list, which is proud to welcome Drink Small and Brandon Bailey (in their own way distinctive and uncompromising). Cool John Ferguson plays hot guitar and found himself at Music Maker as did the young aggregation going out under the name Carolina Chocolate Drops. Buddy Guy tarries a mite too long with rock acolytes for most purists these days but he still pulls it out if the bag when he's a mind. Earnest Guitar Roy just notched up a second album and a positive nod from Living Blues Magazine: Big George Brock was a boxer and Aron Burton started as  a part of Albert Collins band (these days he's out under his own name). Eddie C. Campbell has had a few health worries which started during a German jaunt, he's home now.

My Saturday breakfast listening was B B King's "Rock Me Baby" out on Modern Records, label mates Hadda Brooks, Mickey Champion and Young John Watson were along for our ride too. Hambone Willie Newbern reached across the ages, while Mercy Baby and Joe hill Louis went rural and raw. We balanced a couple of choices from opposite ends of Lazy Lester's work so far - he's been to the Cambridge Folk Festival and we also caught him in a live session done for radio. Wilson Picket was down at Fame for one of his best vocals even if it's not as well known as the radio friendly hits. Johnnie Taylor was effortless and Johnnny Dyer's mill is broken but he is still eligible for 400-CBA even at the end of the playlist.

That 400-CBA register is building quite nicely now and it's a fabulous chance for you and me to hear some of the genuine old fashioned stuff, perhaps for the first time on British commercial FM radio. There's more planned for our next get together on Sunday at 10 pm (GMT), until then take care of yourselves and take care of those that take care of you


track.title track.artistsort index album.title album.artistsort label
Well I Done Got Over It Buddy Guy 7 Rhythm & Blues Buddy Guy Sony Music Entertainment
shake for me Big George Brock 8 round two Big George Brock
You Found Another Lover (I Lost Another Friend) Ben Harper & Charlie Musselwhite 5 Get Up! Ben HarperCharlie Musselwhite STAX
Soul Thing Brandon O. Bailey 9 Memphis Grooves Brandon O. Bailey APO
Southbound Train Aaron Burton 7 Past, Present, & Future Aaron Burton Orchard
I Do Eddie C. Campbell 1 Spider Eating Preacher Eddie C. Campbell DELMARK
somebody's gotta give earnest guitar roy 7 goin down to clarksdale earnest guitar roy n/a
Straight Church Cool John Ferguson 4 Guitar Heaven Cool John Ferguson MUSIC MAKER
Out on the Road Lazy Lester 12 Broadcasting The Blues! Various Artists Southwest Musical Arts
Black-Eyed Daisy Carolina Chocolate Drops 11 Dona Got A Ramblig Mind Carolina Chocolate Drops MUSIC MAKER
So Sweet Drink Small 2 Hallelujah Boogaloo Drink Small MUSIC MAKER
tend to your business tail dragger 14 60 years of blues various artists DELMARK
I'm a lover not a fighter lazy lester 16 Mojo Working : Best Of Ace Blues Various Artists ACE
Rock Me Baby B. B. King 17 Mojo Working : Best Of Ace Blues Various Artists ACE
Well'o Well'o Well'o Baby Earl King 14 Earl's Pearls Earl King WESTSIDE
Space Guitar Young John Watson 10 The History Of Rhythm & Blues, Volume 3 - The Rocknroll Years Various Artists Rhythm and Blues Records
Three Time Loser Wilson Pickett 15 Have Mercy! The Songs Of Don Covay wilson pickett rhino
Pleadin' Mercy Baby 22 4th & Beale And Further South - Ace (Ms.) Blues Masters Vol. 2 Various Artists WESTSIDE
Get Up Off it Joe Hill Louis 5 4th & Beale And Further South - Ace (Ms.) Blues Masters Vol. 2 Various Artists WESTSIDE
its all your own fault Magic Sam 5 Live 1968 avant-garde Magic Sam delmark
come on in this house Magic Sam 8 Live 1968 avant garde Magic Sam delmark
Good for Nothin' Man Mickey Champion 25 Blues Belles With Attitude Various Artists ACE
Ridin' the Boogie Hadda Brooks 11 Modern Music: 1945 Various Artists ACE
Boogie Woogie Amos Milburn 48 Blues Barrelhouse And Boogie - The Best Of Amos Milburn Capitol
The Chicken Mississippi John Hurt 15 Theme Time Radio Hour - Series 2 Various Artists ACE
Shelby Country Workhouse Blues Hambone Willie Newbern 2 Let Me Tell You About The Blues: Atlanta Various Artists Fantastic Voyage
You Can't Keep a Good Man Down Johnnie Taylor 10 Raw Blues Johnnie Taylor FANTASY/STAX
Can't Get No Grinding (What's the Matter Mill) Johnny Dyer 3 Rolling Fork Revisited Johnny Dyer Mountaintop
Created: 02/02/2014 23:26:34

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